


You Should Have Just Asked

by connorstoll (quietrook)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Older Characters, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-02-07 02:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1882182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietrook/pseuds/connorstoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone on tumblr requested that I write a short Jasico thing where Nico was a tattoo artist. Voila. (I apparently take requests)</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Should Have Just Asked

"It's not going to hurt, Jason." Those words probably weren't completely true, and Jason could hear the undertone of 'that much' echoing behind them.

Eyes closed (not clenched shut, this time) Jason replied , "I didn't say anything." Even with his eyes closed he could tell that Nico was rolling his eyes as he prepped the needle.

Every previous visit to Nico and his dingy tattoo parlor, Jason had been a little bit... well, afraid, but he'd always had a problem with needles and it wasn't his fault that the spot behind his ears was really sensitive. Last time, Nico had complained that if Jason didn't keep still his entire ear would be covered in ink and it just wouldn't be pretty. The time before had been his upper arm, which hadn't hurt at all but had made Nico laugh at Jason's ridiculous fear.

He'd gotten a number of tattoos from Nico: the eagle behind his left ear; a wolf on his right arm; a golden coin on his wrist (that one had hurt).

This time, it was a lightning bolt on the back of his neck. Jason leaned forward, letting Nico have access to his neck. He kept his eyes closed and thought about what had gotten him into this mess of ink in the first place, driving his mind away from the needling on his skin.

"You okay?" Nico asked with a quiet inattentiveness, and Jason mumbled an affirmation. Nico's hands kept grazing his skin, and he shivered; they were ice cold.

Jason had never been the type to get a tattoo; he'd never even considered it until he'd come to this place with his friend Percy. Percy'd gotten a wicked trident near his collar bone and Jason had sat there to coax him through it (he was getting it to impress someone but he was a total wuss about it). He'd been pretty impressed at the delicacy of Nico's thin hands. Percy said they were old friends, and Nico used to have a crush on his girlfriend, but after seeing the way Nico tried to avoid looking directly at Percy when he was doing the work made Jason wonder if it wasn't the older boy Nico liked.

The first time he'd come here on his own, it was actually at Percy's request.

"See how he's dealing with his sister's death," Percy said. "I'd do it myself but, uh, it's a touchy subject with us."

Jason had used tattoos as an excuse and had gone over designs; now here he was, on his fifth visit, but it was more for him than anything else. He was growing attached to the younger man. He was worried about him, too.

"I know why you keep coming back," Nico said abruptly, interrupting Jason's thoughts.

"What?" Jason said dumbly, eyes still closed.

"You can tell Percy I'm doing just fine. I don't need his sympathy." The bitter undercurrent in his tone cut through. It might have been Jason's imagination, but it felt like the needle pressed harder then.

"I'm not here for Percy," Jason said into his arms, and Nico paused. "I just wanted tattoos, man."

There was a brief silence before Nico finally said, "Bullshit," but Jason could tell by his tone that he was smiling.

When he was finished, Jason got the usual spiel about taking care of his skin and blah blah blah, but he got one more thing: Nico's number, written on his receipt, along with a note that read " _you should have just asked"._


End file.
